The Atlantic Canadian Pasture Research Group

The Atlantic Canadian Pasture Research Group is an informal association of scientists in the Atlantic region with an interest in research on grazing animals and pastures. The purpose of the association is to co-ordinate pasture research efforts, to encourage a more integrated approach to pasture research, and to provide a venue for sourcing and exchanging pasture research information in the region. The group meets at least twice yearly, and members co-operate on research funding proposals and research projects. The group is currently engaged in a five-year interdisciplinary study on biodiversity and multi-functionality of pasture for dairy cattle production.

Funding for the Atlantic Canadian Pasture Research Center is provided by:

• The Canadian Foundation for Innovation
• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
• The Canada/Nova Scotia COOPERATION Agreement on Economic Diversification
• Nova Scotia Milk Producers Association
• EloctroBraid Fencing Limited

Pasture Research Infrastructure

Research pastures and facilites are established at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in Truro and the Nappan Research Farm. In addition, reserach is conducted on a number of Nova Scotia farms that employ management intensive grazing.

The Atlantic Canadian Pasture Research Centre

With the assistance of the Canadian Foundation of Innovation and other partners listed above, the Atlantic Pasture Research was established at NSAC. The pasture land base at NSAC is 25 ha. Dairy, beef and sheep handling facilites (fencing, corrals, weigh scales, watering systems) and laneways for accessing new pastures have been developed at both the Boulden and Brookside properties to permit multispecies grazing (sheep, cattle and poultry). Hedges and herbal pharmacies will be incorporated into the pasture design.

New laboratory facilites for sorting, drying, grinding and analyzing forage and feed samples, as well as conducting invivo and lab-based analysis of feeds have been installed to improve the scope of the research. Chewing harnesses, data loggers and high resolution video equipment for monitoring animal behaviour and spatial movement have been acquired, and compter capacity with video interface and software for analysis and digitization have been developed.

Figure 1. Boulden Pasture and Ruminant Livestock Centre, Nova Scotia Agricultural College

Figure 2. Brookside pasture and ogranic agriculture farm, Nova Scotia Agricultural College

The Nappan Research Station

Agriculture and Agrifood Canada (AAFC) supports a significant pasture and research infrastructure at Nappan. Individual research projects are funded from various sources, including AAFC, Agri-focus(NS), Agri-futures(CARD), and NBDAF.

Pastures include 75 ha of grazing land, all fenced with electric wire, subdivided for grazing management, with water piped in. Good handling facilities are available for all pastures, with holding areas, crowd gates and working chutes. Most land is native pasture, some on dyke-land. The pastures normally support 80 beef cow/calf pairs, 60 finishing cattle, and 25-30 heifers.

Researchers have access to rising plate meters for estimating pasture biomass, laboratory support for full nutritional and botantical analysis of samples, and support via AAFC collaborators for fatty acid analysis (meat nuturtional value), and alkane analysis (for estimating forage intake and digestibility using alkane markers).